This is some kind of story about this guy in Pittsburgh. Can't get his computer back! The FBI has been busting jewelry stores and kiosks run in malls by Pakistanis, hoping they say to break up fronts for terrorist groups or their financial backers. The only qualification to be raided is be from Pakistan. They are taking all of their computers -- all under the USA Patriot Act -- without any probable cause at all. The fourth amendment? What's that? This is from a news story about this one guy. To me this is hard to believe this is happening in America. Tariq Hussain, 27, a recently discharged U.S. Army mechanic whose Jewelry kiosk in suburban Pittsburgh was searched on June 26, said FBI agents questioned him for several hours and wanted to know if he had connections to the Al Qaeda terrorist network or its leader, Osama bin Laden. "They took everything, my paperwork, bills, my computer, my checks," he said. "I told them, 'I don't have any links to anything like that. I am a proud American citizen." Neighbors were shocked saying the man was friendly, disgusted by the attacks on the U.S. and was a very patriotic U.S. citizen who was proud of his service in the United States military. He has been told he has been cleared by the FBI, but his computer? "They said they would bring it right over day before yesterday. I haven't seen them yet. I called again and they said they are very busy. My computer is also my cash terminal. It's made doing business very hard. Not to mention what everyone at the mall must think after seeing me hauled off in handcuffs and everything picked up and boxed up by the the FBI." The Associated Press asked if he had received an apology. "No apology, no computer, no checks back, no explanations to my fellow mall tenants. I have been in the USA since I was 10 years old. I cannot help where I was from. Yes, it's all pretty humilating. Do we have to chain our computers down now with encrypted chains? What a violation of this mans privacy and what a thank you for four years in the Army! wow.
The story about this guy in particular was on MSNBC. But once stories are off their front page, it's hard to find them as they are buried in their labyrinth. I just looked for ten minutes and couldn't find it. But, here is the story about the raids in general from the AP. Pay special attn to the 8th paragraph. This story does mention the guy from Pittsburgh. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020708/ap_wo_en_po/us_attacks_jeweler_raids_1
You don't have to be Pakistani nor in the jewelry business to be subjected to this either. This is only the tip of the iceburg on what is happening and who is being targeted. And the unwarranted stigma and subsequent community ostracizing that comes with this targeting can be devastating. Very!!! I promise you.
Thnx for the link, and looking back at my previous post my meaning wasn't so clear, and we've just been talking about this kinda thing When I said I hadn't seen it I didn't meanit was not true, just that I hadn't seen it, but I think you took it well Helpin, and gave me the link, so thanks Still, I have to be just a little less sure than s ome of you guys... How do we really know this particular jewelry chain hasn't been found to have a connection to such activities? I'm not arguing either side I just try to keep in mind the media tends to be AWFUL one sided, as a life NRA member and gun collector, I know how biased the media can really get, so I always try to consider what they may be leaving out.
This reminds me of what was done to Americans of Japanese descent in WWII! In law enforcement what the FBI did is called a shakedown. Shake the trees and see what falls out. (I consider such techniques to be poor law enforcement!) There may be one rotten apple, but they don't know which one so they'll hassle a whole bunch of people that they have "reasonable" suspicions about. In a way this technique is a "lawful" form of terrorism. The Brown Shirts put it to strong use in Nazi Germany. They may have been acting on a tip. In any event it makes it look like they are doing something, even though it amounts to them grasping at straws while scaring a lot of people. Idiots! There is good reason they are called the FUZZ, as in fuzzy thinking!
Welcome to the land of the Nouvaux Taliban. I have seen the enemy, and they are us. We have demeaned ourselves by matching our standards to theirs. Our leaders have forgotten that they are our servants, and thus we have become theirs. Let the Goths march forward once again and teach us the lessons we should never have forgotten, because freedom is desecrated by the apathetic. Your vote is not a Karma point.